plague

Do you like to push boundaries? Would you go to, and stay in, an area which was legally designated as “off-limits”? If the location was reputed to be haunted, would that spook you out of staying the night? Our co-hosts, Eric Slyter and Jordan Watney, explore areas forbidden to the general public in this brand new Horrific History Podcast episode. What mysterious circumstances caused the destruction and abandonment of the Bhangarh Fort? What Italian island has been reputably haunted by its history with wars, plague and insane asylums? Are the existing rumors and stories about the locations fanciful superstition priming our perception, or is there something more to explain the reported phenomenon which make many visitors squeam?

While working on our upcoming new episode, Eric and Jordan discovered that there are three noteworthy celestial events coming up! Since they need a bit more time to finish the summer tour of one of our other programs which goes to libraries all across the Pacific Northwest for Summer Reading programs, we decided to raise another one of our Season 1 episodes (now with a new intro) from the Horrific History Podcast Crypt for your squeamish delight!

Harbingers of Doom: Celestial Events and Superstitions

Aztec Sun Stone

What kind of superstitions or myths do you think of when you look up at the stars? Every culture has them; there have been stories developed all over the world to explain star constellations or natural phenomena like solar and lunar eclipses, comets, meteors and more. When the sun provides warmth to help the crops grow and night skies are used to measure the passage of time, it’s not surprising that any unexpected or unusual phenomenon is assigned meaning when the science isn’t sophisticated enough to distinguish between causation and correlation. Horrific History co-hosts, Eric Slyter and Curtis Bender, explore beliefs related to celestial events from across the globe. Hindu serpent demons, China’s dragons (or dogs) and modern conspiracy theorists watching for alien spaceships, we have a lot of “bad omens” for your enjoyment.

Not Your Garden Variety Episode: Toxic Plants

Can you identify all the plants in your yard or garden pots? After hearing this episode, you may never look at them (or honey products) the same way again! Eric Slyter and Curtis Bender, your Horrific History co-hosts, explore some pretty (and highly toxic) plants from across the globe. From nightshade to wolfsbane, and rhododendron to barbasco, this episode will have you questioning the biological warfare applications of your garden plants… just remember to watch how much you use!

Discover which invading armies might have thought of new territory as the “Lands of Tainted Honey.” While Xenophon weighs in with his thoughts on the matter, discover the awful side effects of the wholly natural (but toxic to mammals) “mad honey” which had a history of being used as a tool of violent conflicts long before Draco Malfoy thought to lace a mead with poison.

Harbingers of Doom: Celestial Events and Superstitions

Aztec Sun Stone

What kind of superstitions or myths do you think of when you look up at the stars? Every culture has them; there have been stories developed all over the world to explain star constellations or natural phenomena like solar and lunar eclipses, comets, meteors and more. When the sun provides warmth to help the crops grow and night skies are used to measure the passage of time, it’s not surprising that any unexpected or unusual phenomenon is assigned meaning when the science isn’t sophisticated enough to distinguish between causation and correlation. Horrific History co-hosts, Eric Slyter and Curtis Bender, explore beliefs related to celestial events from across the globe. Hindu serpent demons, China’s dragons (or dogs) and modern conspiracy theorists watching for alien spaceships, we have a lot of “bad omens” for your enjoyment.